Tiger Woods takes aim at USGA over Shinnecock set-up

Tiger Woods made a sly dig in the direction of the USGA as the fall-out from the US Open continues to rumble.

Up until his final round at the Quicken Loans National, where he finished T4 and ten shots adrift of winner Francesco Molinari, the 14-time major champion had been tight-lipped on his opinion of the course set-up at Shinnecock Hills.

Woods missed the cut there following rounds of 78 and 72 and, with his next start at Carnoustie in less than three weeks’ time, he compared the two championships – with a bit of a pointed barb thrown in the direction of the USGA.

“If it's in store for a wet Open, it is, if it's dry, it's dry. They don't try and manufacture an Open.”

Asked if his remark suggested that the USGA does care what par is, Woods replied: “Say again?” before the press conference was swiftly drawn to a close.

Carnoustie marks Woods’ first appearance in golf’s oldest major since 2015 and asked how he rates the state of his game heading into his next event, he responded: "I've hit the ball well in this stretch, I just haven't made anything. Finally, I'm starting to make those putts – putts you're supposed to make from ten to 15 feet, but I'm also making some from outside 20.

“I haven't done that, as I said, for the better part of two months. So that was nice to make over 100 feet of putts, I think, twice this week. That's a positive sign.”